CONTENDERS

06.14.11

Huntsman to Announce 2012 Run

Andrew Harrer/ Bloomberg via Getty Images

Although he skipped the first major GOP debate Monday, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will soon be in the race. Huntsman, who was most recently President Obama’s ambassador to China, will officially announce a White House run on June 21 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. A fluent Chinese speaker and Mormon, Huntsman is widely regarded as one of the more moderate members of the Republican field. The location adds another pushpin to the map for the nomadic governor, who is from Utah, lives in Washington, and will base his campaign in Florida.